7 Ancient Pagan Gods We Still Love Today

Public Domain

The old pagan gods—those legendary figures out of Norse, Greek, Roman, and many more belief systems—are fascinating subjects. These gods had all of the emotional fallibility of human beings, yet the all the power of the gods they were, and in their stories, they proved capable of shocking levels of pettiness, jealously, and downright cruelty. They were also, however, capable of great kindness, heroism, and justice, making for a set of truly interesting characters. They were us, but moreso.

It’s no wonder, then, that many of these gods that featured in stories thousands of years ago are still prominent in our contemporary fiction. We see them in our superheroes and action stars, who can be thought of as the great grandchildren of the original pagan gods.

But those gods that have survived the millennia with their names and stories intact are the ones we love the most—something about their personalities, their struggles, or their stories intrigues us. They’re the most compelling of them all, so let’s explore them by taking a look at 7 ancient pagan gods we still love today.

Loki

Marvel Studios/Paramount Pictures

Of all the gods that the North Germanic people worshiped, few would have expected the mischievous Loki to become the most popular pagan god of all time. But he has, and then some.

Loki is the trickster god of Norse mythology, and stands apart from the other gods in several ways. For one, his lineage is not entirely of the gods—at least one of his parents was a giant, and giants were the enemies of the gods.

He also shows a total lack of concern toward the other gods, lives only for his own pleasures and schemes, and fathers the creature that brings about the end of the world. He does sometimes try to make amends for his wrongs, but even then, it’s usually under the threat of death or worse.

So why do we love him? Mostly because he makes a great movie villain.

Since his debut in Thor, Loki of Asgard, played by Tom Hiddleston, has become not only the most popular god in entertainment, but one of the most popular villains ever—period.

The secret to his success? Charisma, and lots of it. Marvel’s Loki is sophisticated, learned, and aristocratic, and simply enjoys being a villain so much that we can’t help but smile along with him as he’s carrying out his schemes.

Audiences also can’t help but feel for Loki—he’s the underdog, a giant’s progeny taken in by the ruling family of Asgard—the home of the gods. There, he was treated well, but always second to Thor, the true son of Asgard’s king, Odin. That jealousy ate at Loki until it finally exploded in a wave of pained villainy that has propelled Hiddleston’s Loki through several Marvel films.

With more Marvel films coming along, as well as a slew of novels about Loki’s mythological life, this is one god whose story is going to keep getting told far into the future.

Zeus

Warner Bros. Pictures

No list of our favorite pagan gods would be complete without the one who is known as the father, the cloud-gatherer, and the supreme ruler of Mt. Olympus—Zeus.

Zeus was a descendant of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. Because Cronus had usurped control of the heavens from his own father, he feared that his children would do the same to him. To prevent this from happening, he decided to eat them all—Zeus included.

However, Zeus’s mother, Rhea, saved him by wrapping a stone in swaddling clothes, which Cronus swallowed in place of Zeus. The future god of lightning was taken away and raised on the island of Crete, and upon reaching adulthood, confronted Cronus, forcing him to cough up the rest of Zeus’s divine siblings.

Once he defeated the Titans in a 10-year-long war, he took control of the heavens and the earth, installing Poseidon to rule over the seas, and giving the Underworld to Hades.

A womanizer to the core, Zeus fathered many offspring with humans and gods alike, singlehandedly populating much of the Greek pantheon—this trait has led to trouble numerous times.

With all of these aspects, it’s no wonder Zeus still regularly makes his way into our fiction and film. Most recently, he appeared in Clash of the Titans, played by Liam Neeson. This version of Zeus displays those same heroic qualities—and the unfortunate habit of womanizing—as his mythological counterpart, giving him a forceful personality that audiences love.

With all his power and leadership ability, it’s unlikely that the ruler of Olympus will ever go out of style.

Hercules

Paramount Pictures

While Hercules is eventually made into a full-fledged god after his death, he was technically a half-god in life. This is one of the big reasons why we still love his story.

Hercules is the son of Zeus and the mortal woman, Alcmene, and his famous for his superhuman strength and many adventures and heroic deeds. Unlike the gods, Hercules doesn’t sit atop some divine mountain—he’s down here with the rest of mankind, struggling through all the difficulties of a mortal life. He’s one of us, if a bit tougher.

His adventures continue over 2,000 years later in our modern age, notably in the form of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, where he was played by Kevin Sorbo. The beloved show ran for 6 seasons, and viewers adored the sincerely good half-god.

Most recently, Hercules took the form of Dwayne Johnson—previously known as The Rock—in the 2014 film, Hercules. This film emphasizes the humanity of Hercules, and although he displays prodigious strength and skill, his divine lineage is thrown into doubt. Despite this Hercules being more flawed than Sorbo’s rendition, he is no less heroic.

It is that combination of heroism, strength, and reliability ensure that Hercules remains in the public mind.

Odin

Marvel Studios/Paramount Pictures

Zeus may get most of the press, but when it comes to the leaders of the gods, few come tougher than Odin.

Hailing from Norse mythology, Odin is the leader of the Norse gods, wielder of the divine spear, Gungnir, and the husband to the goddess Frigg. He has two ravens which he sends out at dawn to fly over the whole world, after which they return to tell him everything they saw. Odin is he who rides atop the flying, eight-legged steed, Sleipnir, and is said to have given the gift of life to the first two humans.

He also rules over Valhalla, where half of those who die in battle are taken, the other half being chosen by the goddess Freyja and taken to her world. Valhalla is a splendid place, roofed with shields, where warriors dine on neverending boar and ever-flowing liquors.

In other words, Odin knows how to party.

It’s no wonder, then, that the father of the Norse gods is still very much present—and loved—in our contemporary stories, even if he was a bit of a jerk in his mythological roots.

Most notably, Odin is a major player in the recent Marvel films, where he is played by Sir Anthony Hopkins. Odin, here, is portrayed as a somewhat grumpy, but honorable old god who is keen on passing on the crown to someone who is worthy of it—most likely his son, Thor.

A wise and powerful father-figure, it’s safe to say that Odin is going to remain within our stories for years to come.

Thor

Marvel Studios/Paramount Pictures

If Loki is the most popular villain amongst the old pagan gods, then Thor is most certainly mythology’s shining prince—the quintessential hero.

This is one case in which the mythological figure nearly matches up with his contemporary counterpart—the Thor we see in the Marvel films is brash, headstrong, angry, honorable, and heroic, just as his mythological counterpart is.

In Norse mythology, Thor is the hammer-wielding god of thunder, lightning, storms, and strength who embarks on numerous adventures, often coming into conflict—and working together with—Loki.

Thor is a warrior, first and foremost, and is destined in his mythological roots to die fighting the massively powerful Jörmungandr—an evil, earth-sized serpent during Ragnarok, the apocalypse of the gods. With Thor’s next appearance being in the film, Thor: Ragnarok, this doesn’t bode well for his character!

But with Thor’s immense popularity, it’s likely he’ll be sticking around in one form or another for a very long time.

Shinigami

Django Films/Warner Bros.

Shinigami are not one god, but many. Appearing in Japanese folklore, these are gods that govern the transition from life to death.

Interestingly, these gods didn’t exist in traditional Japanese folklore or religion—they only entered the Japanese collective consciousness after contact with western cultures, arising from the interaction between Christian ideas and traditional Shinto and Buddhist beliefs.

These beings aren’t like the western Grim Reaper—they simply ensure that people die at their appointed times, working in pairs to escort souls into the afterlife. The Shinigami are said to explain life as a burning candle, and when the flame burns out, the person dies—in other words, Shinigami have no control over the time of death, but simply oversee the transition.

Today, these beings have been re-popularized most notably by the anime, Death Note, where the Shinigami known as Ryuk accompanies the protagonist of the series, Light. Ryuk is bored of his seemingly-meaningless and eternal existence, and drops the Death Note—a notebook capable of killing anyone whose name is written within—to earth for a human to find. The Death Note is picked up by Light, and Ryuk follows him about to see what the human does with it.

The fascination with death is a very human trait, and now that we have the apple-loving, girl-shy, video game enjoying Ryuk, Shinigami aren’t going anywhere for a long time.

Hel

Emil Doepler/Public Domain

Here’s a goddess you may not have heard much about yet, but one who is sure to explode in popularity soon.

Hel is the daughter of Loki, and presides over a realm that shares her name, where she receives those who die outside of battle. She is a dour character, described as being half blackened corpse, and half living flesh, indifferent to the concerns of the living.

When the beloved god Baldur died through Loki’s scheming, Hel received him into her underworld realm. The gods begged her to give him back, but she agreed to release him only if every creature in the world sincerely wept for Baldur’s loss. Of course, there was one—Loki, disguised as a female giant—who refused to weep. Baldur was lost.

Hel—under the name Hela—has been a moderately popular character in Marvel’s comics for years, but with Cate Blanchett playing the goddess in the upcoming and hotly anticipated Thor: Ragnarok she’s about to get a lot more popular.

With Blanchett’s acting skill and naturally regal nature, Marvel’s first female villain may rival even Loki’s popularity, catapulting Hel into the ranks of most popular pagan gods in contemporary culture.